I decided to return to the Belleview… along with Dominic… the moment I sensed his life might be in jeopardy. I fought hard to get him into the car so that we could go to the hospital.
Dominic was admitted to a tiny hospital a few kilometers from his house for treatment. Fortunately, it was merely a scratch, but I was curious why he had lost consciousness.
Was it a result of his previous trauma?
Whatever his motives, I couldn’t risk jeopardizing his safety, so I returned home. Dominic would receive the best health care in Belleview because my father could afford a professional health care practitioner.
“How are we going to get there?” When I turned left instead of right, Dominic inquired.
“I’m driving you home, so I’m hoping you won’t be surprised later. I didn’t mean it when I lied to you in the past.”
“What are you trying to tell me, Marian?”
“Sshhhh, chill out while I drive. Sleep well, and I’ll wake you up as soon as we reach our destination.”
Dominic sighed but did not object. Maybe he was sleepy or something, but his eyes were already closed the next time I looked at him.
Driving for more than two hours was exhausting, but I couldn’t ask him to take the wheel because my passenger was injured. I looked at his face, and he appeared to be calm and gentle. My heart wrenched at the notion of him going through so much as a child.
I had to explain why I brought him, so I muttered, “I hope you wake up soon.”
“I’m already awake, Marian, but where are we?”
“Welcome to my place,” I said, and he glanced at me for a bit before narrowing his eyes. “Do you have any issues?”
“What are your credentials?”
Before beginning, I cleared my throat since the time had come for me to tell him the truth. “I apologize for lying,” I confessed.
“About what did you lie?”
I told him, “I lied about my identity and my standing,” and he gulped for air.
“Is there anything else?”
“We can talk about it later,” I continued, “but for now, we need to go inside so you can rest.”
It’s a castle with five circular turrets piercing the sky and massive golden stone walls connecting them. Tall windows and asymmetric crenellations for archers and cannons were haphazardly placed throughout the walls.
He did it for aesthetic reasons since he enjoyed seeing himself as a King. I had no right to criticize because he built it with his own money. The lone entry inside the castle erected on a mountain top with solid wooden doors was guarded by a regular gate, but it wasn’t the only route if someone knew the castle’s hidden corridors. A line of king statues outside the castle gates motivated him, demonstrating that anyone may achieve greatness through hard work, dedication, and drive.
Dominic was obviously overwhelmed when he arrived at my house, but he said nothing about it. I honked my horn and drove inside the property as soon as someone unlocked the gate. My father was standing on the front porch, anticipating my arrival. He rose to greet me as I returned home.
As soon as I exited the van, I assisted Dominic in exiting, and the two of us walked together to the front porch to welcome my father.
“Papa!” I dashed towards him, tears streaming down my cheeks as he embraced me. “I’m sorry, Pa,” I apologized for leaving home without saying anything.
“Shhhh, sweetie, it’ll be ok. I’m delighted you’re back home now. “What brought you to the hospital?” He inquired further.
“Someone stabbed my boyfriend,” I said, and Papa lifted his brows in disbelief while Dominic remained silent. Dominic remained so calm when I looked at him that I wondered why he didn’t cower in front of Richard Vera.
“Are you sure you want to bring him here? “What’s the matter with you, Juliana?” When he found out about my relationship with Dominic, he screamed nonstop. “Can you imagine how anxious I was when you called? Do you have any suggestions as to how-?”
Even though my father had not asked him to speak, Dominic said, “I took care of her.”
“You took care of her because she’s lovely, and you intended to exploit her vulnerability!” I was ashamed of Richard’s behavior when he yelled at Dominic.
“Please accept my apologies, Dom. I tried to explain that he must still be shocked.
“You vowed you’d never fall in love, so how did it happen?” He reminded me of a previous chat in which we discussed my romantic life.
My drive to please my father at all times was strangling me. I wanted to try something new, but I didn’t want to let him down. He’s the one who could love me without condition, so the least I could do was obey him and make him proud.
I was supposed to rest, but instead, I daydreamed about the unthinkable. I was expected to have a partner or a fiancé when I was my age, but I wasn’t interested in dating. Never in my life would I give someone authority over me!
I had no idea what was in store for me when someone told me dinner was ready. I greeted him as normal before sitting down, but he was stern and serious the entire time. “Is there a problem?”
“Not at all. Can you be honest with me about your love life, Julianna? Do you have a boyfriend, or are you secretly dating someone? He said, “Just tell me.”
I bit my lower lip and shook my head in disbelief. “Papa, I’m not interested in men.” Richard is a man of many talents. Vera was taken aback by my response, and when I realized what he was thinking, I chuckled. “I’m not a lesbian!”
“So, why aren’t you interested in men?” Juliana, you’re already twenty-seven years old. I already have you at your age, but look at you now! So, I made a deal with the Salcedo’s, and all you have to do now is marry their second son.”
My eyes blinked a few times, and I prayed he’d clarify his remarks. I sat and waited. He, on the other hand, remained silent! “How come I’m obligated to marry their son?”
He said, “It will assist the company.”
By making use of me? How are you going to do it, Papa? We’ve already discussed it! I don’t want to marry, I don’t want to start a family, and I certainly don’t want to be associated with Ethan Salcedo!”
“I also wanted Juliana, his older brother, but he’s already married! He explained, “We can’t terminate his engagement because it will be detrimental to us.”
“I meant it when I started. I didn’t want to get married and start a family. Even if it helps our business, Papa, I’m not going to do it!” Richard Vera frowned at my plan to remain celibate for the rest of my life, but I insisted.
To his question, I said, “I happened to meet him, and my outlook on life has altered.”
“You’ve gotten engaged!” Richard and I disagreed.
“Wait, who’s going to engage?” Dominic got in the way.
“Young man, my daughter is engaged to Ethan Salcedo.”